Crazy half hour - What can we do

Hi,

Our puppy (now 10.5 weeks old) has been having a funny half hour every evening where he jumps up on the sofa and starts biting me and my wife (he seems to go more for my wife though). At first we thought this was just being playful, but as it goes on it appears to be getting more aggressive and his bites don't seem to be playful nips any more - anyone have any thoughts on how to stop this from happening?

Thanks.

Hello there - what breed is your puppy?

I may be entirely wrong here, but as this only happens at a specific time each day I am wondering if it could be a diet-related problem.

As your puppy is so young then presumably he is having three meals a day so perhaps it is not the main food that could be the problem but something else. Does he have a treat in the evening, or some scraps from your table? Very often this sort of behaviour which is short lived and time specific can be traced to a certain food intolerance.

Thanks for the tip. I'll take a look into this and maybe start to vary his diet and see if his behaviour changes.

Thanks again

Good post Bitkin.

My thoughts were, seeming as he's quite young, he may be trying to initiate play.If he's only 10 weeks, he may be tired out most of the evening and now decides it's playtime, hence the bombing around and nipping, mouthing etc.Puppies do this to one and other to initiate play, he's still only a baby.It may be a good idea to teach him bite inhibition, too.

Scarlett would do it every night like clock work but it didn't last long (not the actual episode, her doing what you've mentioned).I ignored her, no word or eye contact and she seemed to calm down.She's retreat to my lap or her crate with her nylabone and I'd then praise her gently for being calm.After 20 mins or so I'd call her to the back door and take her out in the garden, just incase.Upon coming back in, I'd gently play with her, take her back out and she'd come in and fall asleep!

Let us know how you get on

It sounds like normal puppy behaviour to me. My GSP used to get like that in the evenings too. We would distract him with squeaky toys and if he got really OTT he would be put in the kitchen for a couple of minutes of cooling off time (or you can both leave the room). He will soon learn that if he doesn't play nicely you will ignore him.

He will soon learn that if he doesn't play nicely you will ignore him.

Yup, as soon as you don't reward the behaviour, they'll start to get the picture.

Great advice re. her feeding pattern.

Poppy (now 14 weeks) went through a long hard week of this behaviour. I think it is just puppy behaviour. The advice you have been given here is really good. It is tiring (and not to mention painful), but persevere and you should get there. Once you take away the thing your pup wants the most - your attention - then it will learn pretty quickly. The one week of this behaviour was the toughest one we have had with Poppy. Now there is none of it. Yes, she still has her mad half hour, but now she just runs around the house/garden like a lunatic instead!

My two have a mad half hour with each other, every night, straight after their tea, I allow it for so long, but then tell them enough, if they don't stop, they go in their cages to calm down, they soon behave normally again, these two are 7yrs and 20mnths, so don't worry, just set your boundries and stick to them, good advice not interacting with him when he goes like this, Some foods are very high in protein, and this turn causes hyperactivness, really you don't need more than 23% protein, unless working breed, and going to work. Good Luck, it will be fine.

Hi Max having 'a mad half hour' in the evenings is absolutely normal puppy behaviour.

Dogs (along with a number of other mammals) are naturally 'crepuscular', active at dusk and dawn. I aways have a game with my dogs in the evening sitting on the floor with them and playing tug/ fetch/find the toy . If you don't want to play with your puppy at this time put it gently down on the floor off the sofa and ignore it until it is calm, no word no eye contact so you are not rewarding the unwanted behaviour. Also give him a toy or kong play with.

As for the nipping/play biting , have you taught your puppy bite inhibition . This involves encouraged him to bite ever more gently until no pressure is exerted at all so that as he grows up and develops powerful jaws, should he bite for any reason (eg he is in in pain/at the vets being treated /gets accidentally hurt) he will have been taught never to sink his teeth into human skin.
Bite inhibition is one of the most important lessons you can teach your puppy.


Teaching a puppy bite inhibition takes time and patience and won't be achieved in just a few days also everyone in the household needs to adopt the same approach.

Link to teaching bite inhibition ..click here

Our Chi has a mad hour or so everynight but it's cos he just wants to play, an hour of throwing the ball round the room and he goes and lies on his blanket. We play with him on the garden during the day but he still has to have a play at night it's just a habit now.